Lifeline's Vacation
by pisces1972
Summary: Lifeline is sent on a mountain rescue training mission, which doesn't quite go according to plan when an unexpected visitor drops in. This is my first fanfic. Feedback very welcome!
1. Chapter 1

(General Hawk's Office)

Beachhead had been called into a private meeting with General Hawk to discuss the recent training procedures put into place.

"So, how do you think it's going?" Hawk asked.

"There's been a definite improvement with preparedness in the ranks," Beachhead reported in his soft Southern drawl. "Sgt. Slaughter's got them running drills every single morning, seven days a week. And all of them just passed the new, tougher physical standards. None of them had to repeat."

"That's excellent news," Hawk admitted with a grin. "You and Slaughter have really shaped up this outfit, and I'm really pleased with the progress."

"Thank you, sir," Beachhead replied proudly.

"With that said..." Hawk glanced down toward his hands briefly, then continued. "I'd like to talk to you about further training implementation. As you know, our Joes are specialists. It's great to be physically prepared, but as far as training's concerned, I want to be able to drill down and ensure they aren't getting rusty in their respected fields."

"I understand what you mean, sir," Beachhead agreed and nodded.

"What I'd like for you to do is to come up with some individual training plans. Something to put our specialists through the paces. Do you think you'll be able to do this?"

Beachhead smiled rather unpleasantly behind his mask. This was the sort of thing he loved doing.

"Oh, I'll do it GLADLY, sir. How soon will you need the training plans?"

"Just as soon as you can come up with them," Hawk said.

"Then I'll have them on your desk by 1700 hours today," Beachhead promised.

Hawk grinned. He knew Beachhead would be up to the task!

(Two Days Later, 1430 hours)  
(Off-Duty Lounge)

"It doesn't FIT now!" came the panicked, shrieking voice over the phone. "There's only weeks left until the wedding, and I can't make the dress fit! It's too tight around the middle!"

Edwin sighed. "Look, Stephanie, don't panic. Just call the dressmaker, I'm sure she can take it out a little bit..."

"I don't know, I didn't expect to gain 5 pounds before the wedding! How could this happen, I've hardly been eating anything!" There was a pause, and then muted sobs could be heard in the background.

"Hey, don't cry," Edwin said with growing concern. His little sister was pretty close to hysterical at this point, and he was convinced it was from pressures put on her by the upcoming wedding. "Everything's going to go just fine, you'll see. Just try to relax. There's no need to get completely over a barrel about it. Okay?"

"You're going to be there...right?" Stephanie asked. The crying had stopped, Edwin noted. Thank god.

"Of course I will," he insisted. "I absolutely will. Dad can't keep me away. No one can."

"Oh good." Stephanie sounded happier now. "I'm sorry for bothering you...I don't know what's gotten into me. You know I don't totally flip out like this very often."

"You're not bothering me. It's stress, you're stressed out," Edwin told her sympathetically. "Try running. I'm serious. 20 minutes a day. It will help."

"OK, I'll try it. Got to go now, I need to call the florist."

"Alright, hon. Take care of yourself. See you at the wedding."

"OK. Bye!"

As Edwin hung up, he pondered the upcoming wedding of his sister to a guy he hadn't really had time to know yet. Deep down inside, Edwin thought she was rushing things. (Couldn't they have prolonged the engagement for a while??) he thought to himself. (She's only nineteen, barely out of high school..) Even so, he couldn't much blame her for wanting to change her name so quickly. (I wonder if her fiance knows just what kind of a dysfunctional extended family he's getting as part of the package,) he pondered with a smirk.

His thoughts were cut short by Beachhead strolling into the room. "There you are! I been looking for you. Lifeline, front and center!"

Edwin knew that tone of voice. It meant trouble for whomever was on the receiving end. As he stood at attention, he wondered what he did wrong. It must have been something.

"I got a real treat for you," Beachhead said cheerfully. "I'll bet you're wondering what it is!"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Lifeline answered uneasily, wondering which was worse: His sister in a bad mood, or Beachhead in a good mood.

"Guess what I did just for you? I exempted you from the weapons training. 'Cause I know how you feel about it." Beachhead's brown eyes glimmered benevolently.

Lifeline blinked a few times. He wasn't quite naive enough to believe this didn't come with a catch. Considering the source. "Thank you," he said.

"Oh, don't thank me yet," Beachhead responded glibly, holding up a hand. "Just wait until you find out what I got planned for you instead of the weapons training!" He pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his back pocket, and shook it out. "As soon as you're ready to ship out, here's where you're going for the rest of the week," he explained, showing Lifeline a detailed relief map of what appeared to be a mountain. "Your assignment is to locate 20 beacons on the mountainside within 48 hours. Retrieve them as quickly as possible. They represent plane crash victims. And let me tell you, Snow Job did one heckuva job hiding them. You're to report back on your progress at regular intervals. The clock will start counting down once you're dropped off on the mountain. Any questions?"

"Actually, yes. Are all of these beacons buried??"

"Some are, some aren't," Beachhead said with a shrug. "But we're going to give you a little device that lets you know when you're getting real close to one. The point is to make it a challenge...not impossible."

Lifeline nods. "Understood. I'll get ready, then," he said simply, his voice not showing much emotion. Underneath the indifferent facade, he was dreading this training. It wasn't that he didn't think he could do it -- he was pretty sure he could locate most or all of the hidden beacons in the allotted time. It was just the thought of camping out in subzero weather that didn't really appeal to him. Nobody enjoyed freezing their ass off...except for maybe Iceberg or Snow Job.


	2. Chapter 2

(Next morning, 0630 hours)  
(Mt. Kingston, 8,423 ft.)

Once Lift-Ticket had deposited him on the mountain and departed, Lifeline glanced around at his desolate surroundings, feeling utterly alone.

But he knew he wasn't alone. According to the information Beachhead had provided him about the area, there were probably others on the mountain with him. Where was that information packet? He reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled out the paper...

And his teeth set in annoyance as he saw what else Beachhead had slipped into the info packet. It was a TRAVEL BROCHURE, the kind one could pick up in any number of tourist traps. (Very funny, Beachhead,) he thought to himself, shaking his head. He gave it a glance over.

"Enjoy your stay at beautiful Mount Kingston!" read the colorful, glossy brochure, which had pictures of ecstatically happy skiers and picturesque, panoramic scenic views which looked entirely too good to be true. "The southern and eastern slopes are amenable to skiing and snowboarding, and located on the southeastern summit is 'Peake Manor', the ski resort experience of a lifetime. Experience the luxury of --"

Edwin sighed and stuck the brochure back in his pocket. He never much understood the mindset of people who leave civilization behind, just to anticipate the same exact luxuries atop an unforgiving mountain. But maybe he just didn't quite understand the concept of 'vacations', anyhow. He always considered himself on-duty, ready to work at a moment's notice. For a moment, he tried to remember if he had ever been on vacation as a kid. There were a few good times...he could count them on one hand. But the memories of getting whipped by his father's belt outnumbered the good times considerably. (A vacation is something people take because they feel entitled to it, because it's something they deserve,) he pondered. (...Maybe I just never felt like I deserved a vacation.)

He shook his head, then he unstrapped his gear bag to get a few things he would need to begin the beacon scavenger hunt. The pack landed in the snow with a heavy THUD. He estimated there was about 70 pounds of survival gear and rations inside the pack. Edwin grabbed ahold of the pack's zipper, and unzipped it about halfway. He reached inside, and grabbed the GPS device which would serve as his compass. It told him that he was on a ridge about 2,500 feet on the mountain's north side. From here, it was a really nasty 6,000-foot climb to the summit. Now, he could see why the resort was located over on the other side. The opposite side of Mt. Kingston had much softer slopes. The side Edwin was on was considered too dangerous and off-limits to tourists.

(Well, I suppose the up-side to this is that I won't need to explain to anyone why I'm here or what I'm doing,) Edwin conceded as he zipped up the heavy pack and wrangled it onto his back once more. Then, once his ropes were in place and he had checked them several times, he began his ascent, stopping every few inches to scan for beacon signals.

(Same day, 1340 hours)

Edwin could feel the fatigue from the climbing and the biting cold settling into his joints. His arms and legs seemed to be crying out in pain with each movement. But progress had been made, significant progress. He decided to make camp, have some lunch and a bit of a rest, and update Beachhead. After locating a suitable spot, he began setting up. Curiously, he checked the GPS weather monitor: 23F, clear, winds SSW 7-20 mph, windchill 5F.

"Hey, Lifeline, how are you enjoying your mountain getaway?" came Beachhead's fairly sarcastic question over the radio.

"Oh, it's...great," Edwin answered with a smirk, rubbing his gloved hands together. They were so numb, he couldn't feel them at all. "I like the brochure. Nice touch."

"I knew you would," Beachhead answered. "Now, how's things coming along?"

"I've located seven. Got a signal lead on number eight -- it's coming in loud, so I think I'm close."

"Really?" Beachhead sounded pleasantly surprised. "OK, You're doing good. Keep it up! Report in tonight." The channel closed. End of conversation.

Edwin managed to get some water boiling for some tea. As he did, his thoughts turned to that woman who wouldn't stop calling him...Bree Van Mark. Those daily calls were as certain as the setting sun. She was persistent, much to the constant amusement of Dial Tone and Mainframe, who often took her long, devoted messages. Shipwreck enjoyed acting them out, even. It had become a considerable joke around the base.

Only Edwin wasn't laughing.

He had such mixed feelings about her. She was certainly beautiful, but her...insistence to be with him was unnerving. He couldn't understand why she carried such a torch for him. Edwin didn't consider himself to be anyone special or important. As a matter of fact, he didn't even consider himself remotely attractive or dating material. (Why couldn't she just fall for some jet-setting model and be done with it!) he thought in exasperation, sipping the tea slowly. (It's absolutely ridiculous, that's what it is.)

The GPS beacon-finder continued to beep insistently, attracting his attention. That beacon was extremely close; Edwin could tell by how quick the signal was sounding. He picked up the GPS device, and very slowly walked around the small perimeter of his makeshift camp. As he reached an area beneath a steep ledge approximately 15 feet up the cliff face, the signal came quicker. "That's it, right there, the next one's on that ledge," he mused.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything that Edwin knew about mountain climbing, he learned from Alpine. This definitely came in handy for missions and training, and it was better than no experience at all. However, Edwin was far from being a climbing expert. Climbing a simulated rock wall back at base was very different from facing down a sheer mountain cliff in freezing windchill. Nevertheless, he was determined to complete the task at hand. One thing that took him far in life was his dogged determination in situations such as this. No matter what happened, he never gave up.

Once he had his ropes in place, Edwin began the climb and hoisted himself up towards the small ledge, which held the next beacon. It wasn't a long distance, but between the freezing wind and the vertigo of hanging off the side of the mountain, it felt like miles. Bit by bit, he edged closer to the ledge...until finally, he was close enough to reach over and grab the beacon. His gloved fingertips brush the beacon a few times before he finally achieved a good grasp.

Suddenly, his left foothold crumbled away, sending him plunging down the mountainside at breakneck speed -- at least, until his line pulled taut.

Once he stopped swinging, Edwin took a few gasping breaths, and assessed his situation. "Heh...Lifeline, saved by a lifeline," he mused. "The irony is astounding." He was slightly unnerved from the experience, but it certainly wasn't the closest brush he'd had with death. Furthermore, he was still grasping the beacon to his chest tightly. He hadn't lost the beacon! That was the important thing...mission accomplished! With a smile, Edwin righted himself and regained his footholds, returning back down to the ledge where he had made camp.

(1715 hours)

A few hours, a considerable vertical distance, and three beacons later, Edwin decided to make camp for the evening. He discovered a suitable spot, and set up his tent. Every bit of him felt utterly exhausted, yet he had accomplished so much. He would need to radio Beachhead just as soon as he finished making camp.

Once the tent was up, he sat down to relax for a few quiet moments, and reflect upon how things were going. Edwin was very good at meditating, and quieting his mind. He considered meditation to be an essential part of his day. Having learned meditation techniques during his aikido training, he tried to incorporate a little bit of quiet reflection time into every evening. It helped him to cope when he was under considerable stress.

Edwin sat down beside the tent, and quieted his mind. He took deep breaths of the icy air, exhaling each breath slowly. Soon, all he could hear was his own breathing, heartbeat, and the wind whistling...

"EDWIN!! Oh my GOD, what are you DOING here??"

A squealing, female voice cut through the sacred silence like a long, sharp sword. Edwin's eyes flew open, his gaze redirected upward, toward the source of the loud intrusion.

Peering down from a ledge approximately 20 feet up was none other than Bree van Mark.

"Hold on, I'm coming down!" she announces.

"Oh, NO! No, you're NOT coming down!" Edwin said, his expression not unlike a rabbit about to be run down by a sports utility vehicle.

"Sure I am, I wouldn't leave you here alone!" Bree said cheerfully, as she began the precarious climb down to Edwin's camp, without the aid of safety ropes. "Hold on, I'll be down in just a second..."

Already, Edwin was in rescue mode. "Let go, I'll catch you!" he promised, hands out to receive the young woman should she suddenly fall from the rock face.

Bree thought this was a terribly romantic notion. (Falling into Edwin's arms -- just like a romance novel!) she thought with a smile. "Okay!" she said as she closed her eyes and let go.

The impact proved to be too much for Edwin, who staggered backwards in a vain attempt to remain standing, but ultimately ended up face-up in the snow with Bree on top of him. Naturally, Bree was completely unphased. She giggled, and leaned in to snuggle up against her favorite medic. "I'm soooo glad to see you!"

Edwin groaned, as if the burden of the entire universe had just landed on his chest. "...Bree, what on Earth are you DOING here? This side of the mountain is off limits," he said with a frown. "It's dangerous!"

"Well, you know, I was taking a vacation at that Peake Manor resort, and it was all so terribly boring," Bree explained, as she traced a finger down the front of Edwin's suit. "The people there are so dull! I couldn't make conversation with any of them. Anyhow, I went skiing for a while, and all the marked trails are just too easy. They're all for beginners, and I'm a better skier than that! So I went looking for a more difficult trail, and what do you know, I found one...and it must have been created by an angel, because it led me right to you." She chuckled merrily, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

As she spoke, Edwin slowly sat up, and stared in amazement as she happily chattered away. (What were the odds? What were the ODDS of her showing up on this mountain...IN MY CAMP??) he thought. No more quiet meditation was possible. His thoughts had become decidedly unquiet. "Well...listen, you can't stay here," he insisted. "I'm on a mission. I'll escort you back to the resort, but you absolutely cannot stay here, Bree."

"Why not?" Bree asked, with a pretty little pout.

"Because it's too dangerous," Edwin reiterated, putting on his sternest expression. "I don't want you getting hurt, okay? We've been over this before."

"Ohhhh, alright," Bree said unhappily. "But can I stay here for a little while? It's a long way back the way I came. And I'm so glad to see you, you just can't imagine." She leaned in toward him, invading his personal space recklessly. "Please??"

Edwin swallowed, his heart hammering. She obviously wasn't going to budge one inch until she got that much-anticipated kiss. With a sigh, he leaned in to kiss her, and his lips brushed hers for the briefest of seconds before he pulled away. He was clearly annoyed. "Alright, fine," he said bluntly. "Hope I have enough rations for the both of us. I'll have to check."

"Wait," Bree said, grasping Edwin's hand before he could walk away. "I've got some food packed already. Daddy insisted I take it in case I planned to be out past dinner time. Don't use up your own supplies, okay? ...I want to help. Please, Edwin." Her blue eyes sparkled in boundless adoration as she gazed up at her favorite medic.

Edwin couldn't escape that gaze. He was caught in it. The love in those eyes softened him to relent every time, no matter how thoroughly fed up he was with her. "...Alright," he conceded in a softer tone.


	4. Chapter 4

(1815 hours)

Inside the tent, Edwin hooked up the radio. "I'm going to call the base, okay? Whatever you do, please..." He held a finger up to his lips, and looked over at Bree.

The heiress smiled, and nodded in understanding. "I'll be quiet as a mouse," she promised him with a wink. In the meantime, she wrapped herself in his warm, woolen blankets, and sipped some hot cocoa.

"Lifeline to Beachhead," Edwin radioed.

"Beachhead here, over," came the slightly crackling response. Edwin frowned at the interference...what could be causing it, the altitude? He wished he knew more about these things.

"As of this hour, I've located eleven beacons," he reported.

"You are on a roll, that's impressive!" Beachhead answered. As Bree heard this, she glanced over at Edwin and smiled brilliantly.

Edwin noticed, and looked away bashfully. "Thank you, sir."

"The weather been cooperating?"

"So far, yes."

"Well, alright then. I'll expect to hear from you tomorrow, then. Enjoy the rest of your 'vacation'. Beachhead out."

Edwin smirked as he clicked off the radio.

Bree leaned forward inquisitively. "Er...vacation? I thought you were on a mission?" she asked.

"I am on a mission...Beachhead just has a weird sense of humor," Edwin said, moving to sit beside her. "Are you warm enough?"

"Mm-hmm," Bree nodded, smiling as Edwin sat beside her and snuggling up against him. "This is very cozy," she added with a wink.

Edwin's initial annoyance with Bree had faded somewhat, but he was still faced with the dilemma of returning her to the resort safely, and finishing his training mission on time. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he would find some way to make it work. In the meantime, he had a traveling companion, for better or for worse.

He gazed at her with a serious expression, brow creased as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. And in many ways, Bree was a puzzle to Edwin. She operated on a different wavelength from him. She seemed to be in a different reality altogether at times. With a gentle touch, Edwin reached over and smoothed a stray wisp of blonde hair behind her ear.

"What are you thinking?" Bree asked.

"I'm thinking about how I can get you back to the resort at a decent hour," Edwin replied.

"...Come here," Bree said suddenly, lifting the blankets up off her shoulders. She beckoned him to come closer, so she could wrap them both up in the warm sheets. "We can think about that later."

"I don't know," Edwin mumbled sourly, trying not to look in her direction. If he saw that longing look in her eyes again, he would surely cave.

"Yes you do, come here, silly!" Bree laughed, wrapping them both in the blankets, which were invitingly warm from her own body heat.

"Hey!" Edwin protested lamely, but it was no use. They ended up in a blanket-bundled heap, a tangle of random limbs sticking out from all directions.

Bree giggled like a mischievous schoolgirl, then leaned in to give Edwin a hot kiss. She found it deeply satisfying to give him little reminders of the chemistry between them, because she knew that he knew it was there.

This time, Edwin wasn't nearly as quick to get away. His arms slowly wrapped around around her, and he closed his eyes and...lingered for a while. The moment seemed to float timelessly.

When he finally opened his eyes and pulled back from the kiss, Bree was studying him. "It's cold out," she whispered. "Cold and dark. Let me stay with you tonight, and I'll go back to the resort tomorrow. Okay?"

Edwin's heart was pounding so hard, he was certain it would cause an avalanche. He knew what he wanted, but he also knew that what he wanted was pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. After all, he wasn't here for pleasure! He had important work to do. This was driving him crazy. "Bree, look..." he began.

Bree knew what was coming, and she wasn't having it, so she simply butted in. "You know I'm right this time," she insisted, poking him in the chest gently. "So quit complaining, and relax. You weren't even going to do mission things tonight, were you?"

"No, I was going to try and get some sleep," Edwin admitted, stretching out and repositioning himself more comfortably underneath the blankets.

"Okay, see? There you go," Bree said. "That's my point exactly."

Edwin sighed. It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

(2030 hours)

After spending some time reviewing the training criteria, and planning as best he could the strategy he would implement the next day, Edwin decided that he was finished for the evening. He glanced over at Bree, who was reading some paperback novel she had stashed away in her backpack, and seemed entirely engrossed in it.

While she continued to read, Edwin took off his boots, unzipped his suit, and carefully laid the entire uniform out neatly for the next morning's venture. He was fully prepared for the weather; he had on long johns underneath.

Bree glanced over at him, put down the novel, and smiled. "You done?"

"Yeah, I think I'm pretty prepared for tomorrow," Edwin admitted. He took off his glasses and placed them on top of the uniform, then he slipped beneath the covers and got comfortable. Bree snuggled right up against him immediately.

"Look at me," Bree said curiously. 

Edwin complied, turning to gaze at Bree with a puzzled expression. "...What?" he asked.

Bree ran her fingers gently down the curve of his face. "You are so handsome...and I mean, even more than I thought you were!" she marveled.

Edwin groaned in embarrassment, rolled his eyes, and moved to turn over.

"No, wait!" Bree said, stopping him. "I mean...I never really saw you without your glasses before. Why do you wear them?"

"Because I can't see?" Edwin replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, but why are they tinted?" Bree asked with a grin, trying to get some conversation out of him.

"Oh, that," Edwin said, leaning back and staring at the top of the tent. "Well, I had something wrong with my eyes as a kid...so I had a couple of surgeries to correct them from crossing and stuff like that," he explained. "It worked, but a permanent side effect is chronic dry-eye. Basically, they don't produce tears very well. When they get bad, one of the things that irritates them a bunch is bright light."

"Wow," Bree mused, still staring wide-eyed at Edwin as if he were an Adonis. It made him uneasy.

"It's not that interesting," Edwin insisted, closing his eyes and wrapping an arm around Bree. "Go to sleep."

"No! I'm not ready to go to sleep yet," Bree said. "I want to talk to you. We don't get a chance to talk, you're always busy."

Edwin's eyes opened, and he gave Bree a guilty glance, but said nothing.

"How come you don't return my messages?" Bree asked pointedly.

More awkward silence, then Edwin answered, "...Because I don't know what to say. Because you call every single day, and since nothing much has changed from the day before, I don't see the need to call you back."

"Oh," Bree frumped, her brow furrowed. "...Do you think I call too much?"

"Yes," Edwin answered. "You call way too much."

"I'm sorry," Bree apologized, smoothing her hand across Edwin's chest. "I just want to hear your voice...that's all."

Edwin placed his hand over Bree's, and gently brushed his fingertips across her knuckles. As he did this, he remained silent.

"What's the matter, Edwin?" Bree asked him, unsure if she had struck a nerve, or if he was just being quiet for some other reason.

"Nothing, I'm just not good with words," Edwin admitted quietly.

For a while, the only sound was the wind howling outside of the tent. The wind was definitely picking up, Edwin noted to himself. It sounded much louder than it had earlier that afternoon.

After some quiet contemplation, Edwin turned to face Bree. "...Good night," he said.

"Good night, Edwin," Bree answered. She seemed to be waiting for something. It took Edwin a moment to figure out what it was.

He leaned in, and gave her a very gentle, lingering kiss. Then, as if someone had flipped his internal switch, Edwin was sound asleep.

Bree was awake for a while longer, envying how he could sleep on a dime like that. No doubt, his profession and military service helped him to develop that ability. She watched him sleep until her eyes could no longer stay open, and she joined him in peaceful slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

(0730 hours)

Edwin awoke gradually, to the pleasant sensation of Bree's finger gently tracing patterns into his shoulders and back.

"Mm, good morning," he muttered sleepily, smiling slightly.

"Good morning," Bree greeted, staring at Edwin's back pensively. "...Where did you get these scars?" she asked.

"Some are from missions," Edwin replied, his smile disappearing suddenly. "But most are from...well, look, never mind, it's not important."

"Who says?" Bree countered. "I think it's important. That's why I'm asking."

Edwin said nothing, he just lay there quietly.

"Come on," she prompted him, too curious to let it go. "What happened?"

"When I was a kid, my father used to whip me with a belt," Edwin finally admitted.

Bree gasped in shock. "What?? Why did he do that?"

Edwin opened his eyes, and sat up slowly. "Because he blamed me for my mother's death," he said, sounding almost bored about it. "The beatings didn't start until after she died."

"Oh my god, Edwin, I had no idea, I'm so sorry," Bree said, looking pained for having coaxed such a horrible thing out of him.

"It happened a long time ago, and things were different back then," Edwin said as he began pulling on his uniform. "Looking back on it now...I don't hate my father. I never have. He just has a lot of unresolved anger about Mom."

Bree opened her backpack, pulled out another ski outfit, and began changing into it. "I'm sorry about your mother. What happened, was it...sudden?" she asked. Now that he was finally talking to her openly, she wanted to know more about his background, what motivated him.

"Not really," Edwin said. "Breast cancer. She had it operated on, and they thought they had gotten it all...she was well for a while...and then, she went downhill very quickly. It had spread to her liver." He seemed emotionally detached from the story, as if he were talking about someone he read about in a newspaper.

"How old were you when she passed on?"

"About...let's see, Stephie was 2 or 3 at the time...I guess I was around 12," Edwin estimated, as he donned his glasses and pulled his boots on.

"What was she like?" Bree inquired as she pulled on her own boots.

Edwin paused in thought. "She was very kind. Extremely kind. I think that's what sticks with me the most," he mused. "She never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She always saw the good in people." He checked his pack, then zipped it up. "Well, are you ready?" he asked Bree suddenly, turning toward her.

"Yes..." Bree glanced down at the ground in disappointment. She didn't want to leave Edwin so soon! "But maybe we could --"

"Aw, shit," Edwin suddenly cursed as he glanced outside the tent.

Bree was so stunned that he used such language, that she had no rejoinder. "...Wh...what's wrong?" she finally managed, peeking out of the tent flap with him. Then, she realized what he was cursing about.

Inclement weather had moved in overnight, and a mountain blizzard had dumped copious amounts of snow. As they peered out, it continued to dump down heavily.

"I can't believe this," Edwin grumbled, looking extremely annoyed. "OK, well...guess what. I can't take you back to the resort in this, and complete the training. There's just not enough time. It has to be one, or the other. So I guess you're coming with me."

Bree blinked a few times, then suddenly squealed with joy. "I'll be helpful!" She promised. "I'll carry things. I can carry that GPS thingy!"

"Great, whatever," Edwin muttered as he stepped out of the tent. It was far too early in the morning to be developing a migraine.


	7. Chapter 7

It was time to start climbing. Much to Bree's annoyance, Edwin had her latched up with not one, not two, but THREE safety lines and a complex array of harnesses.

"Are these REALLY necessary??" she asked, wrangling with the ropes and cords so they wouldn't pinch her in places she didn't want to be pinched.

"Yes, they are," Edwin insisted, as he secured the other lines for the climb. "I don't want you to get injured."

"Well, I appreciate your concern, but I do have climbing experience, you know! I climb for fun!" Bree insisted.

Edwin paused what he was doing, very slowly turning to look at her with the most deadpan expression she'd ever seen. "In case you haven't noticed...this isn't fun," he said gravely, and went back to what he was doing.

(Wow, how completely pissy was that?) Bree thought to herself with an unhappy pout. "Hey! What was that all about??" she asked, her pitch rising an angry octave. "I never said this was fun! I just didn't want you treating me like a helpless little rag doll, because I'm not! I'm a capable person!"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Edwin looked over at her. Then, he stepped over to her and hugged her tightly. "...I'm sorry," he said. "It's just..." He struggled for a moment to find the words he was looking for. "It's just that...I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you out here." He slowly let her go, and looked her in the eyes. "Do you understand?" Now, his tone was much softer. He really wanted her to understand where he was coming from; it mattered to him.

Something in the tone of his voice and the look in his eye stunned Bree into silence.

When she had no immediate answer, Edwin simply went back to checking the ropes as if nothing ever happened.

(0945 hours)

"Oooh, we've got another one!" Bree called out excitedly, as she checked the GPS beacon monitor.

"Great...can you pinpoint it?" Edwin called out breathlessly. He was seriously winded, and it wasn't even time to break for lunch yet. It was the extra effort of hauling Bree up the mountain that was breaking his back. It would probably help matters if he required her to climb, but he didn't want her to attempt this on her own. This climb was extremely dangerous, and especially so with the slippery new-fallen snow covering the rocks.

But things were going extremely well. There were only six beacons left to find -- well, five more beacons, if this was a good signal they were getting.

"Hm, I think so," Bree replied, studying the GPS carefully. "Okay. It looks like it's coming from that cave up there," she announced, pointing up at a small cave about 15 feet up.

Edwin nodded wordlessly and began the arduous task of climbing the steep cliff, as well as hauling all the gear, and Bree, up the mountain. He never knew that a mere 15-foot climb could feel just like crawling across the length of three football fields with an elephant on his back, but that's pretty much how it felt.

Once they reached the cave, Edwin placed the pack down. "Okay, you stay out here and watch this," he told Bree. "I'll go in and get the beacons."

"What?? Nothing doing -- I'm coming in there with you!" Bree insisted, much to Edwin's supreme aggravation. He couldn't raise his voice to her, though. He just couldn't do it. Nevertheless, her insistence to actively participate in this exercise was wearing his patience thin.

Suddenly, he thought of some reverse psychology to use on her, which used to work on Stephanie all the time when she wanted to 'pal around' with him as a kid.

"You're pretty brave. You know, there could be spiders in there," Edwin said suddenly.

"Spiders??"

"Oh yeah. BIG ones. Bigger than your hand."

Bree wrinkled her nose. "...Ew. I think I'll just, uh...stay put."

Edwin bit back a grin, as he patted her on the shoulder and headed into the cave by himself. "This will only take a minute," he promised.

As he entered the cave, Edwin recalled a time when the 'Spiders!' tactic didn't work. He was about 15...Stephie was 5-ish, and enjoyed following him around wherever he went. Which didn't always suit him, being a teenaged boy. It was a day when he wanted to go to the movies, and not with his kid sister.

("Movie? Me too!" Stephie chimed in. "You don't want to go, it's dark, and...and...there's spiders there," Edwin insisted. Stephie took this information in for a moment, then smirked. "There's no spiders at the movies!" Chalk one up for the kindergartner. She got to go see a movie that day.)

Edwin couldn't help but laugh out loud as another, related thought popped into his head. ("Uh...Bree? Bad news. Seems there's spiders all over this mountain.") Oddly enough, while he was annoyed at the circumstances which put her in the middle of his training, he actually enjoyed her company. Especially last night. When all was said and done, he really couldn't complain about how that went. Just thinking about that was enough to get a good blush going. He could still feel his face was hot when he moved to pick up the beacon.

A cute little sound distracted his attention from his private thoughts. Edwin shined his flashlight beam toward the sound, and saw a small, brown, fuzzy thing approaching. It took him a moment to realize it was a bear cub.

Bree stood outside the cave, hopping up and down to stay warm.

Very suddenly, Edwin came sprinting out of the cave. He grabbed the gear pack with one hand, and Bree's arm with the other. "Move!"

"What??" Bree asked, looking agitated and confused as Edwin dragged her along rather unceremoniously.

"Run!"

"Why?"

"Because!" Clearly, Edwin didn't feel much like talking about it at the moment.

"...Mind telling me what this is about?"

"Later! RUN!"


	8. Chapter 8

"What's gotten INTO you??" Bree complained as Edwin hauled her up the side of the mountain as fast as he possibly could.

"There's bears in there," he huffed as he climbed.

"...What?? Where? I don't see any -- oh, wait a minute...aww, I see him! He's just a little one. Just a little fuzzball! Awwwwwww!!" Bree gushed, smiling sweetly as she watched the bear cub amble out of the cave curiously. "Come on, all that fuss for THAT little thing?"

"Yes," Lifeline said simply.

"But...but...!! But that doesn't make SENSE!"

"Sure it does."

Before Bree could respond, the furious mother bear charged out of the cave with a fierce, guttural roar. Bree shuddered, staring down at the sharp-toothed maw some distance below them. "The mother! Oh, that's why..."

Lifeline said absolutely nothing; he just kept climbing.

"...Edwin? Are you annoyed with me? You can be honest. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like you didn't know what you were doing."

More silence from the rescue medic, who continued silently climbing. The bear's roaring grew fainter as they gained vertical distance.

"Aw, come on, please talk to me? Don't give me the silent treatment, let's talk," urged an extremely uncomfortable Bree.

"I don't want to fight with you," Edwin said simply, as he strained to reach the next slippery foothold.

"We're not going to fight, we're going to talk," Bree said as she shut her eyes. The vertigo was really bothering her from this vantage point. "There's a difference."

"Not when you're angry, there isn't," he replied in the same mild, slightly uninterested-sounding tone that was threatening to drive Bree crazy.

Feeling extremely frustrated and upset at this point, Bree fought back tears. Why was he blocking her efforts to make up? Had she really pissed him off that much? "I'm sorry," she sniffled, burying her face in his sleeve so the tears wouldn't freeze on her cheeks.

"It's okay...don't cry, please," Edwin said uneasily. It was hard to be reassuring when they were clinging precariously to the side of a mountain. "Look, it's just...this is a bad time to have that kind of talk. I'm trying to concentrate on getting us to a safer place. I also have to think about locating these beacons, too, you know?"

"I want to help, Edwin. Don't shut me out," Bree insisted, looking him straight in the eyes. "This isn't about you rescuing me. It's about us working together."

Realizing that she wasn't going to take no for an answer, he decided to yield a little bit. "...Alright," Lifeline conceded, much to Bree's satisfaction. "How close are we to the next beacon?"

Bree smiled cheerfully, as she checked the device in her hands. "It's about 25 feet up," she announced. "See? Teamwork. We'll get this done quicker when there's two of us working on the solution!"

Lifeline sighed, and hoped that Beach Head never, ever found out about this.


	9. Chapter 9

At this point, Lifeline and Bree had very nearly reached the summit. There wasn't much more vertical distance left between them and the peak.

After reaching the next plateau, Lifeline helped Bree up, then glanced around at their surroundings. There seemed to be a trail, leading inward and progressively upward, through a wooded area.

"Looks like we have a hike ahead of us," Edwin mentioned to Bree, as he repacked some of the climbing gear. "Are you going to be okay with that?"

"Of course," Bree answered optimistically. In her mind, it was going to be an extremely romantic, even MAGICAL experience just to be walking in the woods with the man she loved!

Naturally, he saw this look in her eyes, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It wasn't that he couldn't comprehend her feelings, because he undeniably felt the same way -- last night's late-hour escapades in the tent proved THAT beyond a doubt. It was kind of difficult for him to stay good, especially when she was being...well, herself.

What he had trouble comprehending was why she seemed to think this had turned into their vacation. This wasn't a holiday! This wasn't a good time! This was a training exercise. Edwin was frustrated by her casual attitude, but he didn't have it in him to voice those frustrations. That was a conflict he wanted to avoid at all costs.

As they walked along, Bree clasped his hand. "Last night was wonderful," she sighed.

Uh oh. She wanted to discuss it. Could she read his mind? Edwin hedged uneasily. "Yeah, it was great," he agreed, his gaze on the snowy trail up ahead.

"Where on earth did you get such...talents??" Bree giggled.

"I got them in college," he answered, hoping she wouldn't continue this particular line of questioning.

"Ooohhhh! Wow, I didn't know they taught THOSE kinds of courses at state universities," Bree admitted.

Edwin smiled.

1440 hours

After some time traversing the steep incline through the woods, there didn't seem to be much romance left in the situation. Things had definitely cooled off...right down to the freezing point, quite literally.

The snowfall had let up, but the wind was relentless. The further they hiked, the colder it seemed. Lifeline had wrapped Bree up in every available blanket from the pack, and now she resembled some shambling Eskimo.

"I can't understand it -- look, Edwin -- the beacon signal is still very strong! It's in this area, but there's no specific fix on it! We've been walking endlessly, yet the signal hasn't changed!" Bree fretted, and handed the GPS beacon locater to Lifeline so he could see for himself. "This doesn't make any sense! We're not making any progress!"

Lifeline took a good, long look at the GPS. Something was definitely amiss. The data didn't seem right. "You know, either we've been walking in circles, or something is seriously wrong with this thing, or maybe a little bit of both," he concluded. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure which. I've never been much of a technician."

"Oh no! You can't be serious," Bree anguished, her teeth chattering. "If that's true, then we're in a lot of trouble. We could be lost! And if we stay out in this snow much longer, we're going to freeze! What are we going to do??"

After putting the GPS device away, he shook his head, not looking particularly distressed about the situation. Sure, it was serious. But Edwin had been through much, much worse. Put into perspective, this seemed pretty tame. No one was shooting live rounds at them, for one. "I'll definitely get you out of here alive, Bree, you have my word," he promised. (Even if it kills me first,) he thought to himself grimly.

...Meanwhile, following some distance behind the couple, Tele-Viper #647 grinned malevolently. During a routine patrol of the large area surrounding the ski resort, he had located the beacon device. After examining it thoroughly, he was able to determine it was GI Joe equipment. (Complete and utter American crap,) he thought to himself in contempt. (Just like the GI Joe and the aristocratic wench seeking this device.) It didn't take the technician very long to set the beacon up to emit random signals, that would confuse any tracking device.

What a golden opportunity this was to rise in rank. The Tele-Viper didn't know what they were doing out here, but he didn't much care. According to intel reports, this particular Joe was foolish enough to never carry a weapon! Before the day was over, said Joe would be dead, and the rich wench would be held for a hefty ransom. HE would succeed where Tomax and Xamot had failed! The Tele-Viper chuckled with greed-filled excitement at the notoriety and fortune that would soon be coming his way.


	10. Chapter 10

"Lifeline to base."

Only a loud crackle of static answered the medic's call. He glanced around the forested area, and shook his head. "I don't understand this," he stated quietly, looking at Bree for a moment before staring at the inclined hike ahead of them. "There shouldn't be this much interference. The storm's passed over."

"Do you think the, um, the radio's been switched off, as part of this 'test' you're doing?" Bree asked.

Edwin rubbed his chin, and considered. "No, I don't think Beach Head would do something like this," he admitted. "...Of course, I could be assuming wrong, but my gut's telling me he wouldn't do it. Besides, he wanted me to check in with him at regular intervals."

The sloping forested area which approached the summit seemed idyllic and peaceful. The snowpack acted a bit like a sound buffer, muffling all other sounds than the couple's own breathing. Somehow, the tranquility of the location was having an opposite effect on Lifeline, making him increasingly uneasy.

"What's wrong, sweetie? You shouldn't worry so much, I mean...we're pretty close to the resort now, right? And we have almost all the beacon thingymabobs?" Bree reassured Lifeline as she saw his troubled expression.

"You're right, but...there's something about this situation that just seems...wrong," Lifeline said as he hiked up the steep incline, keeping close to his companion to assist her over the trickier portions of the trail.

"Like what?" Bree prompted him, as she glanced around in bewilderment.

"It feels wrong," he answered distractedly, his gaze still trained on the trail.

"Um...okay, that tells me exactly *_nothing_*," Bree huffed in annoyance.

"Haven't you ever been in a situation where you've had to trust your instincts?"

Bree thought about it for a moment. "Well, maybe a few times..."

"It helps, especially when you don't know what you're getting into," Lifeline said, shaking out his painful hands, which were rubbed raw from the brutal climbing despite wearing gloves.

"Well, what are you supposed to do if something 'feels wrong' and you don't know what it is?" Bree asks.

Lifeline paused, tilting his head. Clearly, he was listening to something else, not to her. "Wait...Did you hear something?"

"No," answered Bree, glancing around and seeing nothing amiss. The vicinity was still eerily quiet.  
Eventually, they reached the top of the jagged incline, where things levelled off slightly.

Lifeline braced himself on the level ground, then helped Bree up to the spot. As she brushed some snow off her suit, there was a loud *CRACK* which suddenly echoed through the forest, followed by an angry, whining whistle -- and her hat flew off, tumbling down the mountain. "...Huh??" Bree peered down at the tumbling hat. "What just --"

Bree's question was cut off abruptly by Lifeline yanking her along very roughly, nearly dislocating her shoulder in his haste to move her forcibly. "AAAAHHH!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!"

"That," panted Lifeline, "Was a gunshot." He shoved her behind a large tree, pushing her down and crouching over her.

*CRACK!* One of the tree's lower branches suddenly disintegrated into twig shards, exploding outward like shrapnel.

"And that," Lifeline added, speaking directly into Bree's ear, "Was another one."

"Why is someone shooting at us?!" Bree squeaked, her eyes as wide as saucers in alarm. She began wriggling in an attempt to look around the side of the tree.

"Ssh, stay down, don't move," Lifeline whispered, continuing to shield her with his body. "I'm not going to let them hurt you. Stay still."

The surrounding woods became dead silent once more. After a long, uncomfortable moment of waiting, Lifeline very carefully snuck a peek around the tree trunk. What he saw made his heart sink.

A triumphant-looking Tele-Viper, wielding a large pistol, was approaching them.


	11. Chapter 11

"You're in quite a dilemma, G.I. Joe," Tele-Viper 647 sneered at Lifeline, as he approached the medic and Bree Van Mark. "I'm sure you began to suspect something was amiss when you were unable to radio your base. Or might it have been when you noticed your GPS locator was no longer functional, hm?" The Tele-Viper smirked, cocking the hammer on the pistol with an ominous *click* as he waved the pair out from behind a large tree. "Such a shame, but I can't say I'm particularly sorry to ruin your day."

Lifeline calmly positioned himself between Bree and the Tele-Viper. "I'm sure we can work something out, here," he said, doubting very much that the Tele-Viper had any intentions of working out a non-violent compromise. But in his mind, Lifeline was already working out an escape plan. It had a pretty high risk of injury to himself, but their immediate options were very limited.

"Rest assured, everything's already been 'worked out'. If you require more details: it involves your dead body staining the snow, and my departure with Miss Van Mark." The Tele-Viper stared at Lifeline menacingly, pointing the pistol at his chest.

"Very clever on your part," Lifeline said in a deadpan manner that suggested he believed otherwise. "Did it take you all day to come up with that?"

"Enough of your lip, Joe. Remove your weapons and toss them over."

"I'm not armed," Lifeline answered, holding out his hands.

Bree's heart sunk. She knew what had happened to Edwin the last time she saw him confront Cobras -- one of them laid him out on the Van Mark mansion floor, with just one punch! This didn't bode well, she decided, biting her lip.

"You're a LIAR. Everyone knows that Joes are armed to the teeth. Drop your weapons. NOW." The Tele-Viper was running out of patience.

"No, really. I don't carry any weapons, I'm a pacifist. Search me if you don't believe me," Lifeline said.

The Tele-Viper moved forward, jabbing the barrel of the gun against the side of Lifeline's head as he used one hand to search him for weapons. Little did he know, this was exactly what the medic was hoping would happen, because it put him off-balance and divided his attention.

In a lightning-fast sudden movement, Lifeline grabbed the barrel of the pistol and was wrenching it skyward. Medic and Tele-Viper grappled frantically, and the pistol suddenly discharged with a loud *CRACK!*. "Stay back, Bree!" Lifeline urged through gritted teeth, as he saw her creeping closer. He continued to wrench the pistol by the barrel, twisting it as hard as possible in an effort to get the Tele-Viper to lose his grip.

All the twisting forced the Tele-Viper to release the weapon, to avoid getting his finger broken in the trigger compartment. Quick as a wink, and without taking his gaze off the Cobra technician, Lifeline tossed the gun down the slope. It quickly disappeared from sight, settling deep into the fresh snow some distance down the summit.

The Tele-Viper glared at Lifeline with equal parts bewilderment and rage, as he backed away. "Wh...what the hell!"

"Just putting us on a more level playing field. That's all." Lifeline maintained eye contact with the Cobra operative, as if daring him to look away even for a split second.

This detente between them didn't last very long.

The Tele-Viper had come this far, and didn't intend to give up now. He lunged at Lifeline suddenly, and the two tumbled to the ground.

Bree was close to panic at this point. She was anxiously looking around for something heavy to pummel the Tele-Viper with -- maybe a tree branch, or better yet, a *rock*, she thought.

Before she could find something suitable, Bree saw something that made her do a double-take. One moment, Edwin was being punched and throttled; the very next moment, the Tele-Viper was rolling around and trembling in incapacitating pain. What exactly had Edwin *done*? And how did she miss it??

"Come on," Lifeline says, standing up and grabbing Bree's hand. "We only have a short time."


	12. Chapter 12

With the Tele-Viper too busy writhing in pain to stop them, Lifeline and Bree scrambled through the woods to get away.

"Edwin, what did you just do??" Bree asked, as they hastily pushed away tree limbs and stomped through the snowpack.

"I threw his gun away," Lifeline answered evasively.

"You know damn well that's not what I meant," Bree insisted with a frown. "You did -- *something*, and then that thug couldn't move. What did you do to him??"

"...Oh, that," Lifeline said, as if Bree were mentioning a curb he tripped over last Thursday. "I didn't hurt him; he hurt himself."

Bree didn't say anything for a little while, as the pair were panting from the effort of putting distance between themselves and the downed Cobra operative. Finally, when they were completely winded, they collapsed behind the cover of a fallen tree to catch their breath.

"What is that supposed to mean??" Bree blurted out suddenly.

"Huh? What is *what* supposed to mean?" Lifeline asked as he turned towards her, having already forgotten the conversation.

"You said that the Cobra guy hurt himself! Remember?" Bree answered in exasperation.

"Oh yeah. Well, he did. Basically, it's a defensive form of martial arts I've learned that turns force back on the attacker," he explained.

"How does that even work?" Bree asked curiously.

Lifeline sighed. "It's...complicated," he admitted. "But effective. It's called aikido. Look, I'd like to explain it to you, except we...kind of need to get a move-on here."

"Oh, right, right," Bree said, biting her lip.

"Can you do me a favor?" Lifeline asked, peering behind them for a long moment. "Count the beacons we already have? I need a count on those." He removed his backpack, and unzipped it so that Bree could count the small devices.

"Sure, hon," Bree acknowledged, whisper-counting to herself as Lifeline continued to scan the woods for signs of the pursuing Tele-Viper. So far, they seemed to be in the clear.

"Nineteen," Bree confirmed a few moments later, which made Lifeline chuckle at the sheer irony of being so close to having all of them. "A day late, and a dollar short," he quipped. "That's not going to be good enough for Beach Head...though at this point, I'll just be glad if we can make it out of this in one piece."

"How can you think about what Beach Head's going to think at a time like this??" Bree asked incredulously.

Lifeline slowly glanced over at the blonde socialite, and without changing his serious expression, he said gravely, "Because I've *lost my mind*."

Bree smacked his arm with an annoyed smirk. "Stop that!"

Edwin chuckled. "You get wound up really easily," he commented as he zipped up the pack. "Okay, here's the revised plan. We can't really rely on the GPS right now, but that shouldn't matter, as we're extremely close to the summit anyhow. As long as we keep going up this incline, we're going to get there very soon. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready when you are," Bree answered, and the pair stood up and returned to hiking at a normal pace, as they seemed to have put a healthy distance between themselves and the Tele-Viper.

They hadn't been hiking for very long, when they reached a steeper incline of about 15-20 feet. Lifeline made sure Bree was harnessed adequately with safety wires, then he brought her up the small cliff, shaking from the exertion. At last, they made it to the top, and he made absolutely sure that she had made it up there safely before climbing up himself.

"Look!" Bree exclaimed, pointing to a building in the distance. "The ski resort! We've made it!"

"No, *you've* made it," Lifeline informed her. "This is where you return to your father. My mission's become too dangerous, and I absolutely don't want you getting hurt, so...thanks for the help. See you later."

Bree gaped at Lifeline incredulously. "....Edwin Steen, what do you take me for??" she exclaimed. "We have been in this...*together*, we've survived the hardships...*together*..."

"-- And I'm finishing this, ALONE," Lifeline insisted stubbornly. "In case you've forgotten, there's someone in the woods, following our footsteps, who wants to kill us. I don't want you, or anyone else in the ski resort, to be in any danger. So I'm going to lead the Cobra trooper away from here. Bree, don't argue with me. My mind is made up."

"You're just not --" Bree began.

"I just *am*, so GO," Lifeline said in a tone that suggested there was absolutely no negotiation room involved in this deal.

The couple glared at each other, neither one willing to budge.


End file.
